Belgium second in Rainbow Index

17/05/2018

Love should always win - Belgium knows that very well! Our country is ranked second in the Rainbow Index. ILGA-Europe ranks countries every year on their efforts to support and protect LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) people.

Belgium's been very busy! This country has once again secured a place in the top 5 on the Rainbow Index. This year we have come second, no less. This annual index offers an overview of the rights and social situations that LGBTI people encounter in each of the 49 European nations. It evaluates such affairs as gay marriage or the right for LGBTI people to adopt children, but it also considers anti-discrimination legislation, protection in the workplace or the rental market and hate crimes against LGBTI people.

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Europe, or ILGA-Europe for short, has been drawing up this list since 2009. The organisation is the major driver for political, legal and social change for LGBTI people in Europe and Central Asia. It fights for a world where everyone can enjoy their human rights, freedoms and dignity. Furthermore, ILGA-Europe, with its headquarters in Brussels, has been recognised as a human rights organisation by the European Union.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia will take place on 17 May. In view of this, Brussels will be fully behind Belgian Pride from 4 to 20 May. You can find more info on the festival here. Belgium intends to continue the fight against human rights violations on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, and so it shall.